"Cryogenic Fluid Management Demonstration"

"Cryogenic Fluid Management Demonstration"
[Lockheed Martin]

This mission (name not yet known) is an in-space demonstration mission using liquid hydrogen – the most challenging of the cryogenic propellants – to test more than a dozen cryogenic fluid management technologies, positioning them for infusion into future space systems. The mission is sponsored by NASA.

The mission was selected in October 2020 by NASA's Tipping Point program. Lockheed Martin is building the payload and will conduct mission operations in collaboration with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Glenn Research Center. Originally in-space transportation company Momentus was to provide a Vigoride platform to host the experiment, but in April 2021, Lockheed Martin has dropped Momentus from that project.

The satellite was to be launched in October 2023 on a Relativity Space Terran-1 launch vehicle, but due to the canellation of the Terran-1 launch vehicle, it will need another launch provider.